Floor covering and process of making same



Mar. 3, 1925. 1,528,436

CLOTH FABRIC FACING SRTURATED COLORED BITUMlNOUS BAQE.

Patented Mar. 3, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LESTER KIRSCHBRAUN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FLOOR COVERING AND PROCESS OF MAKING SAME.

Application filed June 24, 1918, Serial No. 241,6 55. Renewed July 10, 1920. Serial No. 395,385.

222,938. I describe a process of making a colored bituminous composition adapted for a wide varlety of uses. The resent invention is directed more particularly toa I coloredbituminous floor covering.

figuration; to provide a product in which Among the salient objects of the invention are to provide a product which consists essentiallyof a felted or similar basesaturated or impregnated. with a bituminous composition of any desired color and which is covered with a paint coating upon which is printed a symmetrical design ofany desired the base or backing material is saturated with a hydrocarbon composition substantially free from the black compounds; to provide a product in which the saturation for the base may be made'either by distillation of the desired hydrocarbon or by the mixture of the hydrocarbon with a suitable hardener such as resin or other gum; to provide product in which the backing or base material may have-one or both sides covered with a fabric re-enforcement which also may serve to receive the design; to

provide a novel process for making the product in question and in general to provide improvements of the character referred to.

In certain kinds of inexpensive rugs, and substitutes for linoleum now' on the market,

the design is printed upon a felted base substitute can be made from the felted base upon which is printed a design which will, be notonly sufficiently attractive but suiticiently permanent to be able to compete with the more expensive products on the market. To this end I saturate the base with a bituminous composition of a permanent color which color can be of substantially any desired shade or tone which can be adapted to the background of the printed surface. Furthermore, in some cases I have foundthat it may be desirable to paint the background which receives the design upon a relatively thin fabric facing or rte-enforcement such as canvas applied to the face of the felted base or foundation. This canvas fabric may be saturated with the same colored bituminous composition as is the base. The use of this fabric facing or recnforccn'icnt gives to the finished article an upper surface which has the a peanance of a nap and avoids the smooth g ossy surface which is likely to be found where the designis printed directly onto the felted base. The nap appearance can be accentuated by substituting for canvas facing or re-enforcement, a fabric which has a more pronounced nap such as one having a villous surface giving it more of a velvety appearance. As

above stated the colored bituminous saturathen mixed with a suitable coloring agent which may be either a pigment or soluble dye of the desired color or the dye and the igment maybe both used at the same time.

he felted base is then saturated with this colored bituminous composition and in case the canvas or other facing is used, it is like-l 'Wisealso saturated along with the base. The saturant acts as a binder tohold the fiber facing fixedly to the felted'base. The facing and the base may be both put through the I saturating tank and the pressing rolls at the same time, the result being a substan tiall unitary structure.

A ter the base or the base and facing have 1 been saturated as above described, they are then covered with a suitable coating material preferably by a paint forming the background of the desired color. .On this background is tlieh printed the design. Ines much as the .saturant is of a color similar to the color forming the background, the wearing away of the paint which forms the background will notshow a distinct color such as the case where the base is saturated with a black bitumen. This avoids any tendency to give a blotchy or unsightlyappearance. The printing of the design is accomplished in a manner well known to those skilledin the art.

Ihave described above the formation of the saturation by the distillation of the wax tailings. In certain cases it may not be advantageous or desirable to distill the Wax tailiiigs for if, the wax failings are distilled, the resultant distillate has to be suitably disposed of,- I have discovered that the wax tailings can be brought to the desired consistency by a suitable hardening agent instead of the distillation. This may be accomplished by mixing the more orless semisolid wax tailings with commonrosin or analogous gums which gums, however, must be of such a character that they. will not impart a black color to the resulting composums, The amount of rosin used, of course, depends upon the consistency of the wax t'ailings and theconsistency desired in the resultant product. I have found in certain cases that from 20 to per cent of rosin will answer the purpose. 'The product so made is brownish in color in mass and of a yellowish line by transmitted light. The product so made can be used as the saturant material in. exactly the. same way as that made distillation of the Wax tailing s heretofore described. V

In order that the invention may perhaps be more clearly understood, I have shown a drawing. in which the single figure designates a transverse sectional view of the product in which a is the felted base and b the fabric facing.

I claim as my invention:

1. A product of the character described consistsing in a felted base and a fabric facing each saturated with a colored bitumlnous composition formed from wax tailings,

containing a coloring agent, bikg round painted on the upper face and' adesign printed on the back round.

2. A product of t e character described, consistin in a felted base saturated with a colore' bituminous composition formed from wax tailings containin a coloring agent and a design formed in be upper surface of the base. i

3. A product ofth'e character described consisting in a felted base and a fabric facing each saturated with a colored bituminous composition formed from \vax tailings containing a coloring agent, and a. design printed on the facin l. A product of tie character described consisting in a felted base and a fabric facing, the latter being saturated with a colored bituminous composition formed from wax tailing-s containing a coloring agent. and a design printed on the facing.

A product of the character described,

consisting in a felted base saturated with a bituminous composition and formed from wax tailings. a soluble dye dissolved in the wax tailings and giving a distinct color throughout the. base.

6. A product consisting of a fibrous sheet saturated tliro ughout' .witli a lightdcolorcd bituminous binder capable of being colored and retaining the color, of a coloring ageing of distinctly different color than the binder with the and Y thoroughly binder. l p v 7. A product of the character described incorporated consisting ilrafeltd base saturated with a light colored bltunnnous composition formed" from a colorable hydrocarbon and 'a coloring agent contained in the hydrocarbon and giving a distinct color to the base.

8. A product of the character described,

consisting of a felte base saturated. with a lightcolorcd bituminous composition obtaincd from the distillation of petroleum oil and a coloring agent contained m'the b it1'iminous composition and giving a distinct color to the base.

LESTER KIRSCHBRAUN. 

